The Tale that Really Mattered
by StarSpray
Summary: After the War of the Ring, Frodo needs to get to work on his book. A drabble series.
1. Note

****_Written for Tolkien_Weekly's _Writing_ challenge series._

**._  
_**

**One Word at a Time**  
_Note_

It was a slow process, working out how to write again with a missing finger. Frodo hated even thinking about it, though the absent finger ached sometimes. But he practiced writing by taking notes while listening to Merry and Pippin or Gimli and Legolas tell of their adventures after the Fellowship's breaking.

Uruk-hai, Ents, eagles, fallen wizards, great battles, and pirate ships – and Gandalf returning from the dead. So much had happened in so short a time!

When he grew frustrated with his clumsy writing, Frodo thought of how thrilled Bilbo would be with all these stories to write down.


	2. Sign

**A Quick Side Errand**  
_Sign_

The sign swinging above the shop entrance had a fancy quill painted on it, poised above an open book. "But we were going to get lunch!" Pippin complained as Merry pulled him inside.

"In a minute, Pip," Merry replied. He had heard Frodo telling Sam that morning that he was nearly out of ink.

Merry scoured the shelves, and found a book on Gondor's history as well as a bottle of ink made of delicately shaped crystal. Frodo should be quite happy, Merry thought as he paid and followed Pippin outside again. "All right, Pippin. _Now_ we'll go find lunch."


	3. List

**A Bit of Organization**  
_List_

So many names! Frodo sat staring at his notes, feeling quite overwhelmed. How was he to write this story when he could not make heads or tails of the people and places involved?

Then he saw what Merry had written of the Ents' great lists.

"First name the four, the free peoples:  
Elders of all, the elf-children;  
Dwarf the delver, dark are his houses;  
Ents the earthborn, old as mountains;  
Man the mortal, master of horses…"

That was it! Frodo picked up his pen and started sorting names, beginning with the Elves he knew. Legolas, Elrond, Glorfindel, Gildor Inglorion, Lindir…


	4. Recipe

**Stewed Mushrooms**  
_Recipe_

"What part are you writing now?" Pippin asked, peering over Frodo's shoulder. "Oh, Farmer Maggot!"

"Farmer _who?_" Gimli asked from across the room. "Did you say his name is—"

"Farmer Maggot. His wife makes _wonderful_ stewed mushrooms," Pippin said. Sam and Merry smiled and sighed at the memory. "I should get her recipe when we return home. Merry, remind me."

"Do they have mushrooms here in Gondor?" Sam asked. "We haven't had any decent mushrooms since Mrs. Maggot's."

Gimli went back to his pipe, shaking his head, but looking forward to whatever mushrooms the hobbits would undoubtedly scrounge up.


	5. Letter

**Making Progress**  
_Letter_

"Merry, you don't have Gandalf's letter from Bree, do you?"

"No. I thought you had it."

"Hmm. I must have left it at Rivendell." Frodo sat back and tapped his pen against his chin. "I will have to paraphrase for now."

Merry chuckled as he blew smoke rings out over the garden, where Legolas and Sam were busy in a flowerbed. "At this rate, Cousin Frodo, you'll leave nothing left for Bilbo to write!"

"Oh, I think Bilbo will have had enough of writing stories down when he finishes his own book." No, this story was Frodo's to write down.


	6. Poetry

**Snatch of Verse**  
_Poetry_

The morning after Aragorn and Arwen were wed, Frodo sat by the White Tree, watching it sway in the breeze and remembering of much larger trees all silver and gold.

Gandalf found him there. "What are you thinking, Frodo?"

"I wrote a song in Lothlórien," said Frodo. "A bit of clumsy poetry, really. Bilbo would have done much better. It was about you." He needed to remember to put in his book.

"Was it indeed?" Gandalf laughed. "I should like to hear it, I think."

"Well, it isn't very good. But it starts: _When evening in the Shire was grey…"_


	7. Postscript

**And Back Again**  
_Postscript_

Messengers were leaving ahead of them from Rohan, bearing letters and messages to Rivendell and Lothlórien, that preparations for the travelers' arrival could be made. Frodo quickly scribbled a note to Bilbo, assuring him that all was well, and that he had much to tell him when they met again, about Merry and Pippin's new positions in Gondor and Rohan – and especially about Gollum's unexpected role in the Quest.

After signing his name, Frodo had another thought.

_PS: You might want to see about adding pages to the Red Book. There is so much more it will need to hold!_


End file.
